Patients across more than 20 counties were left without essential care on Thursday after nurses began a nationwide strike, worsening a health crisis already caused by an ongoing industrial action by Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers and several other medics.
Hundreds of members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives (KNUNM) yesterday marched through Nairobi, delivering petitions to the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors (CoG) demanding action on long-standing labour grievances.
The strike has affected public hospitals in counties including Embu, Kitui, Samburu, Wajir, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi, Kisii, Baringo, Makueni, Meru, Murang’a, Kisumu, Bungoma, Homa Bay, Kwale, Nyamira, Siaya, Uasin Gishu, Lamu, Mombasa and Nyandarua.
Those at the Kenyatta National Hospital are expected to down tools from Friday, July 31.
KNUNM said it had exhausted years of negotiations and accused government agencies of failing to honour agreements with nurses.
“Our union has in good-faith engaged in negotiations for years, yet our diplomacy has been met with empty promises and administrative roadblocks from concerned authorities. We are drawing a clear line in the sand regarding five core unresolved disputes that threaten the very survival of our profession,” KNUN secretary general Seth Panyako said.
He warned that unless the issues were resolved, nurses would not resume work.
“If the relevant authorities fail to address our collective bargaining rights and other demands highlighted in the strike notice within the next seven days, a total nationwide withdrawal of nursing and midwifery services will commence,” he said.
He said the authorities can no longer claim ignorance of the crisis brewing within the public health sector because their had acknowledged receipt of the grievances of the nurses.
According to a letter sent to the Inspector General of Police, Knun had said about 23,000 nurses and midwives from all 47 counties were expected to take part in yesterday’s protests.
The Nairobi procession started at Green Park before heading to Afya House. They then proceeded to Delta House, the headquarters of the Council of Governors, before returning to Green Park.
The union said one of its biggest complaints is the Council of Governors’ failure to conclude negotiations for the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which would improve nurses’ terms of service and salaries.
It also accused county governments of failing to implement new career guidelines for nursing personnel that were approved by the Public Service Commission in March 2025.
The union said the delay has blocked promotions and salary growth for thousands of nurses.
“This systematic failure to implement established career guidelines has effectively frozen promotions, suppressed rightful salary increments, and stalled professional growth across all counties,” their petition said.
The petition also lists several other demands. Nurses want full implementation of the 2017 return-to-work agreement, which they say has remained largely ignored.
They are also demanding permanent and pensionable employment for UHC staff. Although Parliament approved funding for their absorption, the union says many county governments have not employed them permanently.
The Ministry of Health recently returned the payroll for UHC workers to the Department of Medical Services and assigned them permanent and pensionable positions.
“We therefore ask the Ministry of Health to retain their payroll permanently and post them in the national referral health facilities which are facing acute health workers shortage,” the union said.
The union is also demanding that Kisii county reinstate 46 nurses who were dismissed in 2021 while on duty.
Panyako directed union branches across the country to mobilise members for what he described as a prolonged industrial action if the government does not address the grievances.
“As general secretary, I am directing all our branch officials across the country to begin the full-scale mobilisation of our members. Every nurse and midwife within county public health facilities must prepare for a prolonged industrial action if the concerned parties choose to remain silent,” he said.
The union will not call off the strike until all the issues are resolved.
“We remain open to meaningful dialogue, but we will no longer accept empty political rhetoric. Give Kenyan nurses and midwives their rightful terms of service, or face a complete standstill of the public health system,” Panyako said.
The nurses’ strike adds to a growing wave of industrial action that has disrupted healthcare across Kenya. Laboratory officers, public health officers, nutritionists, pharmaceutical officers, clinical officers and UHC workers have also stopped working over separate disputes with the government.
